


Stargazing

by Slothquisitor



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Handholding, Pre-Relationship, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-26
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-05-09 13:41:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5542064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slothquisitor/pseuds/Slothquisitor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cullen finds Mara on the battlements.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stargazing

The air was crisp in the buzzing night. Skyhold was still bustling with energy as Cullen walked the battlements even though the sun had gone down hours ago. The fresh air often did him good, clearing his head of work before he tried to sleep. He had already discarded his armour, but kept his cloak wrapped around him to keep out the chill.   
He was on a neglected section of the battlements when he saw her. Sitting atop the scaffolding, arms curled into her chest staring at the sky. She was illuminated in the pale moonlight, and Cullen thought about turning around and leaving her alone. She’d given no intimation she’d seen him. He didn’t want to disturb her, but for some reason his feet kept pulling him towards her.   
“Inquisitor,” he said quietly, hoping not to startle her from her perch. She often reminded him of a bird, quick and delicate, but strong.   
She glanced around at the sound of her title, looking for a second confused before her glancing below her for the source of the voice, “Commander.”  
“Mind if I join you?” he paused at the ladder.  
Her eyes were soft, “I’d like the company.”  
He climbed up the ladder sat by her. The platform was barely large enough to accommodate both of them, their shoulders were almost touching, his heart got caught in his chest.   
“What are you doing up here?” he managed.   
She looked up at the sky, the corners of her mouth curling upward, “Stargazing.” There was a reverence in her tone that surprised him.   
“Isn’t your balcony better suited for that?” It would be more comfortable no doubt, he tried not to nudge her as he shifted to get comfortable on the wooden planks.   
She flashed a knowing look in his direction, “Yes, but no one knows to look for me here.”  
He chuckled, “Fair enough.” He tried to follow her gaze to the stars, to see what she was seeing. The stars blinked back at him blankly, he’d never been very good with astronomy. “What are you looking at?”  
“The constellation, Andruil.”  
“I’ve never heard of that one,” he admitted, as he leaned back.   
“I think shem-,” she catches herself and seems to be picking her words carefully, “humans, call it Fervanis, the oak tree. See the three stars in a row there….” she points at the sky. “And the ones there…” she pointed a little lower, “that is the stump, the stars above and below make the branches and roots.”   
He could see what she meant and nodded as he watched her expert eyes move across the sky, finding meaning where he could not. He looked back to the sky, he felt her shift beside him. Did she move closer? He wasn’t sure, but he suddenly became very aware of his every movement. He wracked his brain for what to say next.   
“Do you stargaze often?” he asked, lamely.   
“Not as much as I’d like to. It’s sort of grounding you know? Looking up at something that is so much bigger than you and all of this…”   
“Sometimes it’s nice to be reminded there’s more out there.”  
She turned to him and he met her emerald gaze, the moonlight muted the color, but they were no less enchanting. She was beautiful and he wanted to tell her so, but he swallowed down the words.   
“I don’t know that I’m the right person for all of this,” she whispered, and for the first time he saw the shadow of fear lurking behind them. Her eyes darted to her hands as she picked at the splintering wood.   
Before he even realized what he was doing, his fingers intertwined with hers and with a reassuring squeeze he said, “I think the moment you think you’re the right person, you become the wrong one.” At the contact he felt a shimmering feeling in his chest, butterflies in his stomach.   
Mara bit her lip and turned her gaze back to the sky, “Did you know that for the elves Andruil isn’t one big oak tree, but three trees?”  
He let her continue, teaching him about the constellations in the sky, but she didn’t pull her hand away. And when they said goodnight, he hoped it was reluctance he saw in her eyes when she pulled her hand away and not relief.


End file.
